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EnglishHow Depression.com.au Describes Depression Severity and Recovery
Updated
Depression.com.au frames depression as a common but treatable illness, and it draws a clear line between mild and severe forms. In its own words, mild illness "settle[s] quickly with your own efforts," while more severe illness is "something you have little or no ability to fight without professional help and medication." The site also takes an explicit position on recovery: its founding author, Dr. David Horgan, states that "depression can be totally wiped out" and that the illness "WILL pass."
Mild vs. severe: what the site says
The site presents severity as a practical fork in the road rather than a set of diagnostic criteria.
| Level | What the site says | What it suggests you do |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | "Settle[s] quickly with your own efforts" | Self-directed effort may be enough |
| More severe | "Little or no ability to fight without professional help and medication" | Seek professional help and medication |
The distinction matters because it shapes the site's core advice: don't wait for a severe illness to become entrenched. The site's stated position is to "get help from your GP before it digs in."
When to seek help
Depression.com.au treats early help-seeking as the main actionable step, and it addresses the guilt that often blocks it. It tells readers not to "feel worthless, guilty etc" and describes depression as "not a sign of weakness."
The symptoms it lists as possible signals include:
- Depression with anxiety
- Crying, or crying easily
- Feeling tired or very tired
- Not coping
- Poor concentration, including trouble concentrating while reading or watching TV
If several of these sound familiar, the site's guidance is to see a GP rather than try to push through alone.
The recovery message
The most direct recovery claim on the site comes from Dr. David Horgan, described there as a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry. His note tells readers they are "not weak," "not worthless," and "not a permanent burden," and that they have "a very common illness which WILL pass."
Two caveats belong with that message:
- The author has retired. The site itself notes that Dr. Horgan "has now retired and is no longer on the register of medical practitioners." The content is presented as his written information, not as ongoing clinical care.
- The claim is a general outlook, not a personal prognosis. "Depression can be totally wiped out" describes what the site believes is possible, not a guarantee for any individual reader.
Who the site is for
Depression.com.au describes itself as a "Free Community Service written by Dr. David Horgan." It addresses two audiences directly: people experiencing depression and "supporter[s] of someone with this illness." It also offers access to psychologists on the site for "assessment, counselling and choosing the best therapy," alongside its written information.
The site situates depression alongside other chronic illnesses — "like diabetes or asthma" — and notes that it "will affect 20% of Australians," that it can be triggered by stress, viruses, or childbirth, and that "many famous and successful Australians have this illness." The purpose of these comparisons is reassurance: having depression is common, is not a character flaw, and does not mean you are alone.
What to take from it
If your symptoms are mild, the site's view is that your own efforts may resolve them quickly. If they are more severe — or if you recognise the concentration, crying, and fatigue patterns it describes — its advice is to see a GP early, before the illness becomes harder to shift. And on the question of whether it ends: the site's answer is yes, with help.